The Emperor's New Queen
by Tavalya Ra
Summary: An unnecessary sequel to "The Coming Triumph of Emperor Starscream I". After Starscream's plan backfires, his troubles are compounded by a bad idea that Megatron takes to spark- but Knockout, while responsible for this new mayhem, may also be the solution.


**The Emperor's New Queen**

Summary: An unnecessary sequel to "The Coming Triumph of Emperor Starscream I". After Starscream's plan backfires, his troubles are compounded by a bad idea that Megatron takes to spark- but Knockout, while responsible for this new mayhem, may also be the solution.

Rating: R

Warnings: slash, sex, questionable consent, MPreg

Notes and Acknowledgements: This story is as serious as Knockout taking a vow of celibacy. It is also AU, following canon up to and including "Patch", but not beyond it. Neoyi is response for me writing this and all blame is due her.

Disclaimer: "Transformers: Prime" is owned by Hasbro, who would not approve of this story but certainly approves of my spending habits. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

* * *

After the orbital cycles of fuss and discomfort, the extraction itself proved anti-climactic. Knockout deactivated Starscream's local sensor net, popped open his torso's paneling, and removed a small gray ball.

"That's it?" Starscream squawked, staring at the bland orb he had spent the last decacycles thinking of as his heir.

"I warned you it wouldn't be much to look at," Knockout said. He turned the ball in his hands, smiling at it as he did any new scientific curiosity. "But this baby- hmm, I suppose it really is a baby- has a functioning central processor and partial sensor array. It should be perceiving my touch- and it can hear you."

_It is aware?_

"Give it to me!" he screeched possessively. It was his- it should know his hand and find it familiar and comforting, not Knockout's.

Thus, when Megatron finally came to the medical bay to check on the extraction's results, he found Starscream cuddling the ball close to his chest.

"How endearing," the warlord drawled. "And how sentimental. But that befits a Queen."

Starscream resisted the urge to shoot him a glare. At least, he told himself, Megatron's obvious detachment would make it that much easier to ensure the child would be loyal to him and him alone.

"Yes, well, rewarding as this experience has been for me, I find myself eager to resume serving you in a more traditional manner, my lord," he answered flatly. "Knockout, how soon can you replace my T-cog?"

The doctor started a reply- and was cut off sharply by the swift chop of Megatron's servo.

"Out of the question. I thought you understood your role, Starscream. Until Cybertron is restored- until Vector Sigma falls to my domination- you are all that is between us and extinction!"

In horror, Starscream gawked. Megatron was serious? His prior taunting, the suggestion that he meant to keep Starscream grounded and burdened with continual reproduction- that hadn't been just a sick joke?

"But- but, my lord, we- we don't even know _how_ I came to bear- we-"

"Ignorance does not excuse inaction. We will begin by replicating the conditions under which this first spark was forged," Megatron intoned gravely. Then, he grinned and his voice took on a note of joviality. "I look forward to that- don't you, Starscream?"

* * *

Knockout recommended a full orbital cycle of rest and repair before engaging in "vigorous or strenuous activity". Again, Megatron interpreted this an a mandate that Starscream stay confined to quarters and on his cushions, his needs attended to by Steve to make such immobility practical. In the meantime, the ball was taken from him and turned over to Soundwave for care. Once, Starscream might have objected; now, he found himself hating the thing for the fate to which its existence had consigned him.

"Do you wish to name it?" Megatron asked. His offer- his untroubled willingness to forgo the right himself- revealed how little he cared for the child personally; like any other 'Con, it was only a tool to him.

_No_, Starscream nearly replied, but decided instead to voice his displeasure. "Soundwave may call it 'Nightwail' if he can't come up with something better."

"Nightwail it is then," Megatron decreed lazily. He waved his hand and they never spoke of it again.

An orbital cycle passed. Starscream stood up from his sleeping slab, but was soon off his feet again- this time with his back against the wall as Megatron pinned him there, seeking pleasure from his body with savage abandon. Pleasure and conception, Starscream thought, but Megatron would only achieve one of these goals. Last time, Starscream had deliberately invoked the power of Dark Energon to create a new life and that was a mistake he was not about to share or repeat!

Failure, however, did not flag Megatron's ardor. At first, Starscream enjoyed indulging the other 'Con's demand for daily tactile play- it satiated his own appetite and Megatron was so frantic about it that it felt almost like worship. But it quickly grew wearisome and his body as well as his attention felt the fatigue.

"My lord, you know how earnestly I advocate good health and repair through the pursuit of satisfaction," Knockout began, addressing Megatron as he buffed out yet another set of scuff marks on Starscream's chest. "But when it leads to excess, there can be a downside."

"Speak plainly, Knockout!" Megatron snapped.

"There's only so much pounding even tritanium plating can withstand."

"He means you're going to kill me if you keep this up!" Starscream shouted.

And there it was- the lazy eye again, Megatron's pupils roaming aimlessly as he struggled to comprehend any necessity to curb his violently tendencies. Knockout and Starscream quietly waited for the moment to pass.

"It is a valid point, doctor. Starscream's body should endure as little stress as possible," he declared, as if he had reasoned such on his own rather than conceded to another's superior wisdom. "But we have yet to create another spark."

"It was a miracle! Who are we to presume it can be repeated?" Starscream frantically suggested.

"Or…" Knockout began.

"Or what?" demanded Megatron.

"Or it occurs to me that if I were Primus, I would want the greatest variety of code passed onto the next generation. Yours has already been preserved through Starscream's first child, my lord. So perhaps he will be unable to conceive again unless it is with another."

"What!" Starscream screeched. What sudden hardware failure had inspired Knockout to latch onto an idea like that? It was insanity- it was also _wrong_, but he couldn't denounce it definitively without revealing that the first conception had been deliberate. "Why in the Pit would you even think of that!"

Megatron grimaced in vexation- yet his failure to immediately respond revealed that he was considering the idea. At last, he said to Starscream, "I loathe the thought of another touching you- yet if that is what is necessary to preserve our race, it must be endured."

"What? How can you take this suggestion seriously!"

"In this matter, I must take every suggestion seriously!" he barked. "You will take whatever time is necessary to recover. After that, I expect you to-" He scowled, disgruntled by the thought. "-experiment."

Turning sharply, he stomped out of the room.

Starscream gawked at his retreat. "Is he serious? Did he just order me to-"

"Fraternize with the troops? Why, yes, he did." Knockout grinned. "Lucky you."

* * *

"Unless you're getting cuddly with that pet Vehicon of yours, you've been neglecting Lord Megatron's command," Knockout hummed. His back was to Starscream as he fussed over his tray of surgical tools, carefully polishing each to a sparkle.

Hissing, Starscream retorted, "And how do you know the comings and goings of my personal chambers, Knockout?"

"Your comings and goings are important to me. As your doctor, of course," he said, looking over his shoulder with a sly smile.

They were in the medical bay, where Starscream had gone to escape the tedium of his room. It was the only place where, if Megatron found him, he wouldn't be berated for not wrapping his legs around the first 'Con he could persuade into his quarters. Unfortunately, the refuge of the bay came at the cost of enduring Knockout's aggravating companionship.

"I'm not about to lower myself to servicing a Vehicon. Unlike present company, I believe in standards."

"Oh, you'd be surprised at how talented some Vehicon are. Such nimble fingers. But you have other options. Soundwave, Dreadwing…" He swiveled around, optics narrowing sultrily. "Me."

"You? As if!" Starscream spat. "This is all your fault! You told Megatron I needed to spread myself around- what possessed you to make that suggestion?"

With a curling smile, he replied, "I don't like being told that something is untouchable."

His answer struck Starscream between the eyes. Knockout had done this to him on purpose? The suggestion was baffling and, at first, he hardly understood it. He had never sought intimacy from anyone but Megatron, for ambition made his commander the only 'Con desirable. When Knockout had flirted with him during his tenure as leader, he had assumed the car had expressed lust of the same nature- and, being uninterested, he had ignored it. Was this Knockout's perverse revenge for being spurned? No, he realized- Knockout's processor didn't work like Starscream's. Pleasure alone was motive enough for him and his objective, pursued with an absurd ruthlessness, had been to remove the obstacle he perceived between himself and Starscream: Megatron's violent disapproval.

Starscream was so furious he could hardly speak. His voice emerged as a sharp hiss. "This- this _insanity_ was simply a gambit so you could crawl into my berth without reprisal?"

"What can I say?" Knockout replied with a one-shoulder shrug, rotating his left wrist with flair. "I have a weakness for a well-heeled bot." He gave a salacious look.

"Drink sucrose and rot!" Starscream roared, his vocalizer recovering its volume. "I will ride every Vehicon on this ship into exhaustion before I so much as tap your bumper!"

He turned to flounce out of the medical bay and his optic spotted it- contained within a jar of clouded glass that dimmed its glow to a mere glimmer. He could scarcely believe he hadn't sensed it; its container must be dampening its radiation.

"Is that…?"

Knockout, mouth drawn in a tight pout, gave Starscream a curious glare and then looked to where the Seeker was gesturing. Crossing his arms, he huffed, "What do you care about my research? Don't you have a troop of Vehicons to straddle?"

"I am your commanding officer- I demand you answer!"

"It's Dark Energon and you know it," he retorted, picking up a drill bit. "Now, unless you care to revise your opinion on the welcomeness of my company, I suggest you avail yourself of the door!"

Starscream felt tempted to grab the drill from Knockout's hand and ram it though his eye- or scratch it up and down his chest. Only _he_ could have the audacity to be offended after an admission of guilt!

_But wait. _In Starscream's processor, a plan- a sweet schematic of revenge- began to shape. _There's something better for penetration than that drill._

Striding forward, he smashed the jar with his fist and seized the shard of Dark Energon within. Knockout's startled protest was severed silent as Starscream leapt upon him, dropping him to the floor, and then plunged the shard into his chest.

Knockout's howl sounded more like unbound delight than agony as the intoxicating rush of Unicron's blood flowed through his system. Briefly, his body ignited into purple flame, but Starscream- having once experienced the same- was insulated from it; instead of a burn, it tickled.

"What… what have you done…" Knockout gasped.

He should be horrified, but instead he sounded thrilled- of course, he did, Starscream thought with a grin. The immediate touch of the Dark Energon was clouding his processor and his reason. Knockout would think he was in control, but he would only focus on the power and pleasure he felt in this moment and consider nothing of practicality, leaving himself pleasantly vulnerable.

"I have done what is necessary," Starscream said, leaning close to Knockout's face to speak in a whisper. "To abide by Lord Megatron's wishes, of course. Care to _experiment_, doctor?"

Knockout's smile broadened in delighted avarice- then his head reared up for his mouth to claim Starscream's, clamping onto him with a force that sent a trill through his system. Knockout's hand took firm grasp of Starscream's aft. Tussling, he spun the Seeker underneath him. His other servo ran slowly down Starscream's side, drawing out a response from his tactile sensors, then rested to grope Starscream's thigh.

"Have I ever mentioned how _yummy_ you are? Other bots are so blocky, you're- you're _sleek_. So perfectly forged…"

_And you're out of your processor_, Starscream thought, still smirking. "Yes, I am. And I'm prettier than you, too."

"Oh, ho, ho, you think so? Fortunately for you, I like arrogance in a 'Con- provided one has the stamina to match the ego."

"I take my pleasure from Megatron. Do you _really_ think you can satisfy me, automobile?"

"If you want a test drive, you better know how to trigger the ignition."

Starscream reached his hand around Knockout's side and spun his tire. Then he ran his fingers along the seam of Knockout's chrome until he reached his aft, which he stroked with toying lightness. His reward was the car suddenly bucking and releasing a hiss.

"You were saying?" Starscream asked and spread apart his legs.

The undulation of Knockout's body was smooth, sliding against Starscream slowly and deliberately. It made an awful squeak, but it roused each sensor with a zing. His hands fell and rose with the motion, rhythmically stroking Starscream's sides, only stopping to cup the curvature of the Seeker's hips. Starscream was satisfied taking his cues from Knockout, working his pelvis to crest and fall in time with the other 'Con. He moaned for his own pleasure and for the satisfaction that filled him as he looked at Knockout's face to find the car's head rolled back with his eyes shut and mouth open in wanton bliss.

_Now_, he thought. _Now!_

He would not make the same mistake as last time- this would be a triumph he could savor. He called to the creator, invoked the name of Primus, and felt the power of Dark Energon stir within him. This time, however, he did not let it fill him; he did not allow it seize and overtake his spark. Instead, he thrust the power away from himself, funneling it into Knockout along the supernatural connection which had sprung into place at his will.

Knockout's scream was that of a bot being devoured by his own rapture; he fainted from an overdose of ecstasy, whereas Starscream passed out from the sudden drain of energy.

* * *

_An orbital cycle later…_

This time, it went exactly as planned.

Knockout yowled in horror, but Starscream only smirked and said, "It seems that you were right- and that Primus' blessing has been passed onto to you."

Megatron greeted the news with exasperation, less than thrilled at Starscream's choice, and said with resignation, "Well, doctor, you know what is expected of you now."

Knockout's pupils darted frantically in his widened optics. "My lord, you cannot be serious!"

_Ah_, Starscream thought, _how beautiful to at last hear someone else say that._

"Off your feet! Now!" Megatron bellowed. "Starscream, assign him a Vehicon."

And thus did Knockout find himself cloistered, cushioned, and proclaimed the new Queen of the Decepticons.

Sometime later, Starscream decided to pay him a visit. He found Knockout sitting upright on his bed of pillows, boiling with rage at a hapless Vehicon cringing in the corner. From the marks on the poor minion's arms, whatever he'd done to upset Knockout had been avenged with the doctor's buzzsaw.

"Oh, leave," Starscream ordered, fluttering his hand.

The Vehicon made no hesitation to give flight.

Smiling, Starscream turned to Knockout and slowly strutted forward. "Hello, my queen. Are you comfy? Cozy? I know you don't feel heavy now, but soon-"

"You _knew_!" Knockout declared, narrowing his eyes and barring his teeth. "You knew Dark Energon was the key- the first time you created a spark wasn't an accident, was it? It was an experiment that backfired!"

Starscream cocked his head and smirked. He replied to the deduction with a slow clap.

Knockout's optics flared and he looked on the verge of a snarl. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't expose you to Megatron!"

"Besides turnabout being fair play? Or the fact that you got what you wanted?" Starscream drawled, enjoying Knockout's furious twitch. "I will give you several reasons, Knockout, why it's good to be Queen. First, protected status. Megatron wouldn't dare harm one who can produce the next generation- and that's assurance you need. I checked on the record of your service during my absence. You didn't make Megatron too happy as a field agent and I believe there was something about being stuck in a wall?"

Knockout's face remained wrathfully contorted.

"Second," Starscream continued. Fearlessly, he leaned over the bed and lightly rested his fingers against Knockout's chest. "You're a 'Con who enjoys your luxuries. And as Queen, pampering one's self is your very duty. I believe it was you who extolled to me the virtues of talented Vehicons. Think of all those fingers can do- waxings, detailing, polishings… _inspections_. Their most solemn command would be your pleasure." His fingers slid down the other Decepticon's plating in a caress. "Now lie to me, Knockout. Tell me that doesn't appeal to you."

His resistance was breached. His eyes wavered, still too angry to capitulate, but his defiance was crumbling even as he protested, "You expect me to be satisfied with life as a- as a _factory_ in exchange for wallowing in idle excess?"

Starscream smirked. "You tell me."

Knockout blinked. He blinked several times before looking at Starscream boldly to make an announcement.

"I want three Vehicon servants, not one. They had better be the best- and they had better be prepared to provide _full_ service. You know what I mean."

"I believe I do," Starscream drawled. "A recommendation- keep the buzzsaw retracted, but otherwise indulge yourself. In my experience, Vehicons require little to inspire their devotion for a Queen."

"And if my servants fail to satisfy me, I expect you to perform."

"As you wish." He placed his finger against Knockout's mouth. "You'll find me willing, my queen- as long as you remember to call me 'lord'."


End file.
